


Sweater Weather

by varchieblessing



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-18 07:18:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15480486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/varchieblessing/pseuds/varchieblessing
Summary: Archie and Veronica went separate ways after they broke up in College. A few years later they cross paths again while visiting their friends Betty and Jughead in Riverdale. The visit of their hometown brings back memories and Veronica is reconsidering life decisions.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The motivation for starting this fic, comes from various sources:  
> 1\. There are not a lot of Varchie fics out there.  
> 2\. The song Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood inspired me. (Hence the title of this fic and later it's also going to be important for the fic itself)  
> 3\. I love Varchie with all of my heart.  
> Oh and I'm so sorry for any mistakes, English is not my first language.

As she gets out of the car a sigh leaves her lips. It feels good to be in Riverdale again but somehow also terrifying. So many things changed over the years, her included. But here she is, standing in front of the Pembrooke which hasn't changed a bit in all these years. But appearances are deceptive which apparently applies to the Pembrooke. It may look the same from the outside but as soon as she walks in nothing is like she remembers it. The former luxurious lobby appointed with expensive furniture is now almost empty, as is the apartment she used to live in with her parents. 

It's weird. Even though she has lived in New York almost her entire life, she still considers Riverdale as her home. Of course, she loves New York with all her heart, out of question. But standing here in her old bedroom makes her realize how much Riverdale actually means to her. This room alone contains so much memories. Not all of them are good but most of them. 

A sad smile hovers on her lips when she remembers all the times she sneaked Archie into this room. They were so young and so in love. Those were the years she felt the most loved and she felt so safe. Even with all the terrible things that were going on then. She was so happy, and it was because of him. She just needed to look into his eyes and she knew that everything was going to be all right. She just needed fall into his embrace and she knew that he was always going to be there for her. She just needed to kiss his lips and she knew that he was going to love her no matter what. 

And he did. He loved her through all of it. Even then when her father was the one responsible for putting him in jail. He didn’t blame her for anything. He never did. After high school everything changed. They left Riverdale and went off to college in New York. So did Betty and Jughead. But nothing changed between Archie and her. If anything, they were even happier, even more in love with each other. But naturally life decided to screw things up.  
The ringing of her cell phone pulls her out of her thoughts. Betty. 

“Hey B.”  
“Heey, are you already in Riverdale?” The excitement in Betty’s voice makes her smile. She missed her so much.  
“Yeah. I am at the Pembrooke.”  
“Great. I’ll tell Jughead to pick you up.”  
“Thanks. See you soon then.”  
“Wait V…”  
“Yeah?”  
“I …I …ah...well…”  
Veronica frowns. “What is it Betty?”  
The blonde on the other line takes a deep breath. “Promise me you won’t get mad.”  
“I promise, for God’s sakes just tell me.”  
“Okay.”, she pauses. “Archie is also coming.”  
The phone almost slips out of her hand. What did she say? She can’t seem to move, speak or even breath. It feels like her heart stops for a second.  
“V?”  
Not ready. She’s not ready.  
“Veronica?”  
Hearing her full name out of her best friends’ mouth brings her back to life.  
“I knew it. You’re mad right?”  
It takes her a moment to find her voice again. “No. No, I am not mad.” It’s true she isn’t mad, just surprised. Very surprised.  
“You sure?”  
She takes a deep breath. “Yes, Betty. I just needed a second to process it. I am not mad, on the contrary, I am happy to see him after all this time.” That is also true. She is excited to see him. The last time they saw each other was at that ridiculous high school reunion Reggie organised two years ago. It was pretty awkward between them then. She hopes that this time it’s different.  
“I just thought it would be nice to have the four of us reunited, you know. It’s been such a long time and I …” Veronica chuckles.  
“B, stop. It’s okay. I’m sure we’re going to have fun.”  
“Okay. That’s great. Love you.”  
“Love you too.”

Damn. She is going to see Archie again. She’s definitely not prepared for this. But it’s going to be okay, right? It’s just Archie. She relaxes. But … it’s Archie. The person she trusted the most, the person she loved the most. How is it ever not going to be awkward between them? Now she’s tense again.

When she slips into the car, she’s immediately wrapped up in a familiar strawberry scent, that she knows all too well. Basically, everything Betty touches, smells like this. “Well, well the raven-haired princess is back in town.” She rolls with her eyes but smiles. “Shut up, Jones.” She presses a quick kiss to his cheek. “I missed even you, can you believe it?” He laughs. “Not really.”“So, what are my best friends up to?”, she asks as he starts to drive. “The usual. Writing stuff.” She sighs dramatically. “How boring. Don’t you guys have hobbies?” He grins. “You know Betty loves the Register probably more than she loves me and I love her, so….” She smiles. 

It wasn't a surprise to her when Betty announced that she's moving back to Riverdale after College to take over the Riverdale Register. It also didn't surprise her that Jughead agreed to move with her. They're each other’s soulmates. She is really happy for them, but she also can't prevent herself from feeling a sting of jealousy in her chest.

When they step into the house, she can hear laughter from the kitchen. So that means Archie is already here. Her heart starts to race, the temptation to run away is big, but before she can even flinch, Betty's already throwing her arms around her. "Heeey." Veronica also wraps her arms around her and breathes in her familiar scent. "I missed you so much, B." „I missed you too.” They stay like that for a while until Betty pulls away. “Come. I made dinner, you’re probably starving.”, Betty says, heading into the kitchen. Veronica takes a deep breath and follows her.

And there he is. Leaning on the kitchen counter, laughing about something Jughead said. God, she missed his laugh. She can’t deny, he looks so good, in his grey shirt and his jeans. When she looks at his face again, his eyes meet hers.  
They stare at each other for what feels like hours but probably just a few seconds pass until she takes the bold steps in his direction. She’s not going to let it be awkward again, so she takes the situation into her hands. 

The wide smile on her face makes him smile too and when she wraps her arms around his shoulders, he doesn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around her waist. “Hey Archie.”  
The fact that this feels exactly like it did back then makes her soul hurt. She almost says it. She almost says that she missed him, but something’s holding her back. So, she keeps her mouth shut and tries to ignore the aching in her chest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who is reading my story and who is leaving kudos! I appreciate it.  
> I'm quite happy about how this chapter turned out.

“That was absolutely not funny.”, Betty says offended, but she is laughing anyway. “It was hilarious. Especially then when you were dancing on that table and Jughead desperately tried to get you down.”, Veronica says and watches her best friend blush. The others laugh hysterically. The sight of Archie shaking with laughter and blushed Betty makes Veronica realise how much she missed hanging out with her old friends. She loves her life in New York now, but something is still missing. They’re missing. Sitting here together and laughing about that time Betty got incredibly drunk in College makes her reminisce about simpler times. 

After everyone calms down Betty decides that it’s time for dessert. “I’ll help you B.”, Veronica offers but the blonde shakes her head. “No, it’s okay V, Jughead will help me. Right, honey?” He looks at her. “Yeah sure.” After both of them disappear into the kitchen, Archie chuckles. “What?”, Veronica asks. “She really has him under control.” She laughs. “She always had him under control.” He looks at her and smiles. “Yeah she had.” 

Only now she realises that they are alone, and it makes her more uncomfortable than she wants it to. She takes a sip of her wine, so she doesn’t have to say something. Archie awkwardly looks down and clears his throat. “So, uhm how’s business going?” She puts her glass down and looks at him. Watches how he’s nervously drumming his fingers on the table. “It’s good. Really good.” He gives her a smile. A genuine smile. “Glad to hear that.” 

God, she hates small talk. But she guesses they have to go through with that, so she continues. “And your music career?” She really wants to know that. His eyes light up a bit when he answers. “It’s great. I’m really looking forward to my new EP. It’s coming out soon.” Veronica has to smile. He sounds so happy talking about his music. Music always made him happy. “Wow Archie. That’s terrific.” 

She is really happy for him, but it also stings a little bit when she thinks about the fact that, that’s technically the thing that drove them apart. He must know what she is thinking about because his face slowly drops, and his eyes get that sad sparkle. “Ronnie, I am sorry.” Ronnie. Her heart tightens at the way he says her name.

“God, Archie don’t apologize.” He sighs. “But I am so sorry, and if I could change …”, he starts but she cuts him off and puts her hand on his. “Just stop, okay? It was not your fault, it was just … life, you know, and I am…, we… are”, she struggles to find words to make it clear to him, to make him understand that she could never blame him for anything that happened. He doesn’t look at her, just stares at their hands and gently strokes her soft skin with his thumb. As if struck by lightning, she pulls her hand back when she hears Betty and Jughead coming out of the kitchen. 

“I hope you still have room for my famous strawberry cake.”, Betty says joyfully, as she and Jughead put down the plates in front of them. “This looks amazing. B.” She takes a bite and the sweet taste immediately spreads on her tongue. “And it tastes amazing. I can’t even get pancakes right.” Jughead and Betty laugh and even Archie cracks a smile. “Yeah V. We know about your lack of cooking skills, I think we all remember that time you almost set our apartment on fire.” She laughs. “God, don’t remind me, Jones.”

After debating about Veronica’s cooking skills for a while, Jughead takes a sip from his glass and then looks at Archie. “So, Archie. How’s Lexie?” For a split second he looks insecurely at Veronica, then at Jughead. Veronica doesn’t miss the warning look Betty is giving Jughead, who just shrugs. Archie is seemingly uncomfortable. “She’s good.”  
She waits for him to say something else but apparently that’s all he’s going to say. “Who’s Lexie?” She looks questioningly around because she’s clearly the only one who has no idea who they are talking about. An awkward silence falls over them until Jughead clears his throat and breaks it. “His girlfriend.”

Oh. And that’s what she says. “Oh.” Then she says the first thing that comes to her mind. “Is she a musician?” She almost laughs at Archie’s startled face. But she also can’t believe she asked that. He swallows. “Ehm, yeah she is.” She has no reason and no right to be jealous, but she is. She is so jealous that she feels her face getting hot and her heartbeat getting faster. “Well, that’s nice.”, she says as calmly as she can. She can’t show her true feelings about this. Archie doesn’t deserve that. 

Somehow, they were able to make the rest of the night less awkward and restore the primary atmosphere. Of course, wine helped with that. A lot of wine. Around 2 pm Veronica suddenly feels awfully tired. “Okay guys, I think I’ll start heading home now. I’ll call a cab.” Betty instantly shakes her head. “You can stay here, V. Then you don’t have to be alone at the Pembrooke.” Veronica smiles. “I appreciate that Betty, but I’ll be fine.” Betty nods. “Then let me at least drive you home” Before she can even answer, Archie’s already standing up. “I can drive you, I wanted to go home now, anyway.” 

Veronica looks at him. He’s so handsome with his messy red hair and his slightly blushed cheeks from the wine.  
She can’t help but smile. “That’d be great, Archiekins.” It slips out before she can stop it. But he doesn’t seem to mind, because he chuckles. After saying goodbye to Jughead and Betty, they’re on their way to his car. 

“Their house is so beautiful.”, she doesn’t even know why the hell she’s saying that but the thought of falling into awkward silence makes her shiver, so she accepts the nonsense the wine probably makes come out of her mouth. “It really is, I am so happy for them, you know. Even if I still can’t believe that Jughead Jones is deliberately living in Riverdale.” She laughs, probably harder than she should but he also starts to laugh, so she doesn’t care. 

When he starts to drive, she can’t help but to look at him. She remembers the road trips they used to do, just the two of them. When they would drive through the night and she would fall asleep in the passenger seat. How she would wake up in the backseat wrapped in his arms, every time.

“Ronnie you okay?” He looks at her amused. She barely noticeable shakes her head. “Yeah. I’m fine.” Suddenly his face turns serious. “Look, I am sorry that we haven’t talked in what feels like forever. I feel like I have no idea what’s going on in your life anymore.” Yeah, that feeling is familiar to her.  
“I am sorry too.” She notices his hands tightening around the steering wheel, as he continues talking. “Maybe we could, you know, drink a cup of coffee and just … talk.” He parks in the driveway of the Pembrooke and she unbuckles her seatbelt. “I would love that, Archie.” He smiles. “Great.” 

Before she gets out of the car, she leans towards him and presses a soft kiss to his cheek. Knowing that his lips are just centimetres away from hers, sends a shiver down her spine and she quickly pulls away. The way he looks at her and the alcohol running through her veins, clouding her thoughts, makes her eventually say, what she desperately tried not to say. “I missed you, Archie. So much.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this chapter took what feels like forever, but here it is! Hope you enjoy it.

Veronica groans when she opens her eyes and the sun streaking through the closed curtains hits her face. She just wants to bury her face in the soft warmth of her pillow and stay all day in bed. But the ringing of her phone announcing a message pulls her out of her thoughts and she sits up, reaching for her phone.

Hey, wanna have breakfast with me at Pop’s?  
-Archie

She smiles. 

Sure. About 10? :)

He responds immediately.

See you then. 

°

She has only been sitting at Pop’s for 10 minutes and it’s already unbearable. She has never been a very patient person but now she feels like she’s going insane. She can’t help but to nervously stare at the door. It’s annoying her. She shouldn’t feel like this all the time. Always so nervous about him. But it’s not like there is no reason to feel nervous. The awkwardness yesterday proved it. But it’s not just the nervousness. She’s excited to see him, like really excited. In fact, so excited that it’s scaring her. 

When she takes a sip from her milkshake it reminds her of the time when this Diner was an important part of her life. Milkshakes with Betty after school, breakfast on Sundays with Archie, double-dates with Jughead and Betty. This place holds so much memories, as she looks around it’s like looking into the past. 

She remembers the exact moment when she walked in here for the first time. It was also the first time she ever saw him. Little did she know that this exciting, handsome red-head was going to become the most important person in her life. 

She remembers their first date right here in this booth she is sitting in right now. When he spilled his milkshake over her and apologized over and over again. She just laughed, because for the first time in her life it didn‘t matter what happened to her 2000 Dollar dress. The only thing that mattered was the person sitting across from her. He made her laugh. She was happy. 

She remembers being upset about something her father did and sitting here by herself avoiding everyone. Even though she texted him to leave her alone, he didn‘t. He slid into the booth next to her and pulled her into his arms. He didn‘t even ask what was wrong. He didn‘t need a reason. He just knew that she was upset, he just knew that she needed him. 

She thinks back to yesterday and the way he looked at her when she said that she missed him. She couldn’t quite read his eyes, didn’t know what went through his head (which is terrifying because one glance used to be enough for them to know what the other one was thinking). For a second, he just stared at her and she was afraid that he would be mad at her for saying that but then his lips stretched into a soft smile. “I missed you too.”, he said and she felt warmth rushing through her body. 

She’s glad she said it. If she hadn’t it would have felt like hiding something from him. She couldn‘t deny that she missed him. That she has always in these last years missed him somehow. And then there is this one part of her that screamed for something the second she wrapped her arms around him yesterday. It screamed for something she couldn’t dare to think of. This little, naive, selfish part that believes that maybe everything could go back to how it used to be.

And she hates that part. Because it's delusional. They aren't in high school anymore, they are no longer teenagers. But the thought of his red hair, his shy smile and his brown eyes makes her want to believe that part. 

When she looks up, there he is. Walking through the door and he spots her immediately. He smiles at her and she smiles back, even if she feels like crying at the sight of him. He looks so perfect with his messy red hair and in his tight black shirt, she loved seeing him in. Does he remember that?

“Hey Ronnie”, he says as he slips into the booth across from her. “Wow. How does this place still look the same?”, he asks, and his beautiful eyes look around. She laughs. “It’s a mystery to me as well Archiekins.” She bites her tongue. Damn it, she did it again. 

His eyes find hers again and he smiles. “I missed that nickname, you know. And you don’t have to feel bad for saying it, okay? I really don’t mind. I mean I also call you Ronnie.” For a second, she just stares at him, terrified by the thought that he still reads her so well, then after realizing what he said, she breathes a sigh of relief. “You’re right. I’ll try not to feel bad about it, but everything is just so…”, she looks down. “Awkward between us?”, he finishes her sentence.

She looks up and he grins at her which makes her chuckle. “Yeah.” He nods. “It’s annoying. I don’t want it to be this tense between us.” She softly smiles. “I miss being friends with you.” Her chest tightens. He said being friends with you, not being with you. Why does it hurt? She thinks she’s crazy. It’s not supposed to hurt. She swallows. “I miss being friends with you, too.” It almost physically hurts to say it. But his bright smile reassures her that she is doing the right thing.

She clears her throat. She has to change the subject. “So ehm, how’s your dad?” She hasn’t seen Fred in what feels like ages. The last time was at hers and Archie’s last Christmas together. She misses him sometimes, they really got along. He was always there for her when she needed some advice or just someone to talk to. Of course, she had Archie, her mum and Betty. But sometimes she just needed someone else. Her father. But he was unavailable, he was in prison, again. Not that she would like to talk to him anyway. She trusted Fred. Her lips form into a smile when she thinks back to the Christmas dinner.

 

three and a half years ago

“You sure you’re okay with spending Christmas with my dad?” He leans against the door frame, watching her packing clothes. She looks at him and sees serious doubt in his eyes. “Are you kidding me? I love your dad and I am happy to be back in Riverdale for a while.” He still doesn’t look convinced. She stretches her arms out towards him and gives him a little smile. He sighs and comes closer, lets her wrap her arms around his shoulders and rests his on her waist. 

“We can also stay in New York, if you want to. I know how much you love New York at Christmas time and you can see your mum and if…” She silences him with a kiss. When they break apart, she can’t help but smile. “Archie, you’re the sweetest, but I don’t want to stay in New York, okay? I want to spend Christmas in Riverdale.” For a second, he just looks at her, then presses a soft kiss to her forehead. “I love you, Ronnie.” She smiles and bumps her nose with his. “I love you too.”

°

“I’m so happy you kids are here.”, Fred says while he fills their glasses with wine. “We’re happy to be here, right Archie?”, Veronica says and looks at him with a soft smile on her face. He nods. “Yeah, thanks for the invitation, dad.” He takes his seat across from them. “My pleasure. It’s been a while since I saw you two.” Archie looks at her and she’s sure his guilty expression mirrors hers. It’s true. The last time they were in Riverdale was in June for Fred’s birthday. 

Archie clears his throat. “We’re really sorry, dad. It’s just we’ve been really busy and the…” His dad interrupts him. “Archie, it’s okay. Don’t worry about that, I know that you don’t have a lot of time. That’s why I’m even happier that you’re here.” 

He smiles at the two of them and Veronica smiles back, thinking about how lucky Archie is to have a dad like him. She’s also lucky to have him, he is more a father to her than her own father ever was. Just the thought of him makes her stomach churn and she takes a sip of wine to get rid of the unpleasant feeling. 

They talk about a lot of things like college and laugh about Archie not being able to do the laundry right. “Hey, at least I know how to cook.”, he says, and Veronica rolls her eyes but can’t prevent her lips curling into a smile. “Shut up.”, she laughs while Fred watches them amused. 

“Well, it’s definitely going to be interesting when you two get married.” She almost chokes on her wine, feels her face getting hot while she puts her glass down. She has no idea why that comment makes her so uncomfortable, of course she and Archie have already talked about getting married but hearing it out of his father’s mouth is a completely different thing. 

The fact that her boyfriend’s father even considers that they could get married scares her in a way she can’t describe. When she looks at Archie, he’s seemingly uncomfortable and she’s relieved she’s not the only one. His eyes meet hers and he gives her a little, insecure smile before he turns to his dad and chuckles. “Yeah. Really interesting.”, is the only thing he says, and Fred seems to notice their unease and drops the topic.

 

Later, when they lay in Archie’s old bed, her back pressed to his chest, she can’t stop thinking about the thing Fred said. She almost says something but the sigh he lets out stops her. “Ronnie, about that what my dad said earlier…” His breath tickles her neck as he talks. “I can’t deny that thinking about the future scares me, you know I am more of a living in the moment- kind of guy.” 

She slightly chuckles at his words and turns around to face him. The moonlight shining through the window illuminates his face and she can’t help but to touch it, still fascinated by it after all this years. As her fingers brush across his skin, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. When he opens them again, he smiles.

“But the thought of my future with you in it doesn’t scare me, it makes me feel happy and excited. I plan on being with you for a very long time, Veronica. If that’s what you want. And I don’t know if we’ll get married or not, I don’t know where life will take us, and I don’t really care, you know. I just know that I’ll love you. I love you Ronnie.” She feels a hot tear running down her cheek and he reaches out to wipe it away, his thumb softly stroking her skin. 

Her heart is beating hard against her rip cage. “Archie…”, she whispers as she leans into his hand, that now cups her face. “I love you so much.” She doesn’t have to say another word, he’s already kissing her. When she pulls away after a second her eyes meet his, and he looks at her in a way that makes her feel warm.

“Maybe someday we’ll get married.”, she says. “Someday.” He quietly repeats and kisses her again.

**Author's Note:**

> Did you like it? Let me know :)


End file.
